Sorry GOP: There Is No Republican Who Can Save You From The Current Candidates

Politico's Mike Allen sent people flipping through their Rolodex
yesterday, when his
daily Playbook e-mail said that a "tippy-top Republican" was
sketching out a scenario where a new candidate is introduced into
the race if Rick Santorum continues to win contests and
proves Romney to be too weak.

The idea is that a fresh candidate would instantly excite
everyone, attract a ton of media attention, and potentially win a
"contested" GOP convention.

But this candidate doesn't exist.

Let's review the names.

Jeb Bush: He has name recognition, but not
exactly the kind you want. Obama's poll-tested line of attack is
that he is fighting anyone who would "return us to the failed
policies" that created the financial crisis. Imagine the attack
ads: You've already had two Bush recessions. Do you really want a
third? Also, Bush is as vulnerable to the charge that he
is soft on immigration as Rick Perry was.

Mitch Daniels: Who? That's what most
people will be asking. The governor of Indiana has already
indicated that he didn't want to run for president. If he did,
he'd already be running. Like Jon Huntsman, he has a rock-solid
set of conservative credentials, but his persona and demeanor
aren't a match for conservatives who want a big fight.

Chris Christie: Well, he already
endorsed Romney. So to even entertain it would be a massive and
acrimonious betrayal. The media would greet his candidacy by
replaying his Romney endorsement speech on a continuous loop.
Also, he can't just pick fights with random citizens across the
country and expect to win.

Bobby Jindal:
This would be Tim Pawlenty 2.0 Another competent and
religious governor who has trouble exciting anyone outside of his
homestate. Romney could end up destroying him in a debate the way
he did to Rick Perry earlier in the cycle.

Sarah Palin: Ha! She would have to win
California and New Jersey. Republican insiders are trying to
avoid Rick Santorum because they think he is too combative in the
culture wars. They're not going to ditch Rick for Palin.

We've already seen three of the most successful Republican
governors of the last decade drop out in this election: Pawlenty,
Huntsman, and Perry. For reasons of strategy, electoral mood, and
campaign skills, they failed. The alternatives listed above are
no more qualified than those three, and many of them have obvious
weaknesses.

Republicans are stuck with Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, Ron Paul, and Newt Gingrich as their field. They are a flawed
bunch, but there is no perfect or obvious candidate waiting in
the wings.

Anyone launching a campaign now would have difficulty even
getting on the ballot in enough states to plausibly compete.
Many would be outraged that a candidate would have the gall
to bypass the 20-something debates and several early primaries.
Their entrance, especially if backed by
establishment people in the party, would be incredibly
destructive to the likely nominee (Romney) and to party unity. It
would be a fiasco.

Allen's "tippy-top" Republican is engaging in wishful thinking.
And the news media, bored with candidacies that are almost a year
old already, are doing the same.